“Should a wise man utter vain knowledge, and fill his belly with the east wind? vain: Heb. knowledge of wind”
Heat. Hebrew, “east wind,” (Haydock) or give vent to passion. (Haydock) — Eliphaz now rebukes Job without any reserve. (Calmet) — He was perhaps displeased at the comparison used by the latter, chap. xiii. 4. Baldad had also hinted that Job’s discourse was nothing but wind, chap. viii. 2. (Haydock) — Being unable to answer his arguments, he reviles him as an enemy of God. (Worthington)
“Should he reason with unprofitable talk? or with speeches wherewith he can do no good?”
Equal. God, who is far above thee. Hebrew, “Will he (the wise) argue with less words, or with speeches which are nothing to the purpose?” (Calmet)
“Yea, thou castest off fear, and restrainest prayer before God. castest: Heb. makest void prayer: or, speech”
God. Another, after thy example, will assert his own innocence under affliction, and will not fear, nor have recourse to God by humble prayer. Behold the dangerous consequences of thy principle. (Calmet)
“For thy mouth uttereth thine iniquity, and thou choosest the tongue of the crafty. uttereth: Heb. teacheth”
Blasphemers. Hebrew, “of the crafty,” which is sometimes taken in a good sense. Septuagint, “thou hast not distinguished the speeches of the princes.” Thou hast not shewn respect to our admonitions, (Calmet) or understood our meaning. (Haydock) — Thou rather choosest to imitate those false sages, who strive to deceive the world. Abuse could hardly be carried to greater lengths than it is by this man; who before spoke with some moderation, chap. iv. (Calmet)
“Art thou the first man that was born? or wast thou made before the hills?”
First. Is thy experience so great, (Menochius) or art thou the most excellent of men? To hear thee we are but novices, chap. xiii. 5. (Calmet)
“Hast thou heard the secret of God? and dost thou restrain wisdom to thyself?”
His. Hebrew, “dost thou restrain wisdom to thyself? Septuagint, “or has wisdom come to thee?” (Haydock)
“With us are both the grayheaded and very aged men, much elder than thy father.”
Fathers. Hebrew and Septuagint, “father.” (Haydock) — Eliphaz always speaks first, and hints that he was as old, perhaps older, than Job; who had rather found fault with the youth of Sophar, chap. xii. 12. He also boasts that they, or their country, furnished master of greater wisdom and experience than even Job’s father. (Calmet)
“Are the consolations of God small with thee? is there any secret thing with thee?”
Thee. This would not be difficult, (Tirinus) if thy presumption did not prove an obstacle. Thou makest small account of those comforts or of our advice, trusting in thy own justice. (Calmet) — Septuagint, “Thou hast been chastised little, considering thy sins. Thou hast spoken with excessive insolence.”
“Why doth thine heart carry thee away? and what do thy eyes wink at,”
Why. Septuagint, “What has thy heart dared, or what have thine eyes brought thee?” Hebrew, “what do thy eyes wink at?” (Haydock) through pride and disdain, Psalm xxxiv. 19., and Proverbs vi. 13. (Calmet) — We need not wonder that Eliphaz should misunderstand the looks of Job, (Haydock) since he gives such a false notion of his speeches. (Calmet)
“What is man, that he should be clean? and he which is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?”
Just. Few are free from all spot; but venial sins do not hinder a man from being styled truly virtuous. (Worthington)
“Behold, he putteth no trust in his saints; yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight.”
Unchangeable, of his own nature, and during this life. (Calmet) Hebrew and Septuagint, “is not trusted by him,” till they have been tried, (Haydock; chap. iv. 17.; None is good but God alone, Mark x. 18.) in comparison. (Tirinus)
“How much more abominable and filthy is man, which drinketh iniquity like water?”
Water, with the utmost avidity and unconcern, Proverbs x. 23., and xxvi. 6.
“I will shew thee, hear me; and that which I have seen I will declare;”
Seen. He had before given himself out for a prophet. Perhaps he may only mean to deliver what he had been taught, or had learned by experience, ver. 18. His observations are in themselves just; but the application to Job is no less insulting. (Calmet)
“Which wise men have told from their fathers, and have not hid it:”
Wise. Protestants, “which wise men have told from their fathers, and have not hid it,” chap. viii. 8. The authority of tradition was then very great; and why should it now be despised? (Haydock)
“Unto whom alone the earth was given, and no stranger passed among them.”
Them. Their antiquity, courage, and purity of morals must consequently be greater, as they have preserved themselves from the inroads of strangers. (Calmet)
“The wicked man travaileth with pain all his days, and the number of years is hidden to the oppressor.”
Proud; uncertain. Hebrew, “in pain.” (Haydock) — Septuagint, “numbered,” or few, Genesis xxxiv. 30. These are the maxims which Eliphaz had received in a vision, or from the ancients, ver. 17. The description of a tyrant’s life was admirably verified in Dionysius, of Syracuse, (Calmet) and in our Cromwell, (Haydock)—
“He runneth upon him, even on his neck, upon the thick bosses of his bucklers:”
And is. Hebrew, “even upon the thick bosses of his buckler.” (Haydock) — God thus seizes his antagonist, who, like Pharao, swells with pride. (Calmet) (Deuteronomy xxxii. 15.)
“And he dwelleth in desolate cities, and in houses which no man inhabiteth, which are ready to become heaps.”
Heaps, by his ambition and fury, (Calmet) and exactions, (Cajetan; Menochius) till the king chooses to rebuild the cities. (Vatable)
“Let not him that is deceived trust in vanity: for vanity shall be his recompence.”
That he. Hebrew and Septuagint, “for vanity shall be his reward.” (Haydock) — If he would repent, he might still be safe. (Menochius)
“It shall be accomplished before his time, and his branch shall not be green. accomplished: or, cut off”
Hands; strength and prosperity. (Calmet) — Septuagint, “his branch shall not grow thick.” (Haydock)
“He shall shake off his unripe grape as the vine, and shall cast off his flower as the olive.”
First. Hebrew, “unripe.” (Haydock) — He shall derive no aid or comfort from his young family.
“For the congregation of hypocrites shall be desolate, and fire shall consume the tabernacles of bribery.”
Congregation, or family. — Bribes. Literally, “presents,” which (Haydock) frequently were not given freely, but extorted as a real tribute. (Calmet) — Septuagint, “for the death of the wicked is a martyrdom,” or proof of his impiety. “But fire shall consume the houses of the present (or bribe) receivers.”
“They conceive mischief, and bring forth vanity, and their belly prepareth deceit. vanity: or, iniquity”
Sorrow. Hebrew, “mischief.” (Haydock) See Psalm vii. 15., and Isaias xlix. 4. — The tree is known by its fruit. Eliphaz sufficiently insinuates, that he is speaking of Job. (Calmet) — His, or “its,” the congregation’s womb, ver. 34. Protestants, “their belly.” (Haydock)